


something wild calls you home

by GuardianKarenTerrier



Series: Week Two: AU [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: But please, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Miracuteam, Shapeshifting, competent, master fu actually doing some kind of training, master fu they are TEENAGERS i realise you are not that, the team all knows each others identities already
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-08-20 10:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20226499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianKarenTerrier/pseuds/GuardianKarenTerrier
Summary: "Hey, so point of order?" Nino says, watching both their partners as they zip around Master Fu's back room.  "Not sure how much I like the new power set, dude."Adrien grins at him and holds his hand out to Plagg, who obligingly darts back to him.  "Plagg, clawson!""Okay, see, that's a bad plan too," Nino says from much, much higher up.  "Why is it almost the same phrase, dude? Youknowthat's going to be a problem!"Adrien meows at him smugly and whirls around to join their friends.  Alya is leaping onto furniture and then off again, letting out frustrated snarls as she tries to catch the ladybug zipping around her in circles.  Chloe buzzes smugly from the windowsill only to take to the air again when Alya turns towards her.(Ever since the team learned each other's identities, Master Fu has agreed to train themasa team.  Some of them are more excited about new powers than others).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> for the 'shapeshift' prompt for adrienaugreste

"Hey, so point of order?" Nino says, watching both their partners as they zip around Master Fu's back room. "Not sure how much I like the new power set, dude."

Adrien grins at him and holds his hand out to Plagg, who obligingly darts back to him. "Plagg, claws  _ on _ !"

"Okay, see, that's a bad plan too," Nino says from much, much higher up. "Why is it almost the same phrase, dude? You  _ know _ that's going to be a problem!"

Adrien meows at him smugly and whirls around to join their friends. Alya is leaping onto furniture and then off again, letting out frustrated snarls as she tries to catch the ladybug zipping around her in circles. Chloe buzzes smugly from the windowsill only to take to the air again when Alya turns towards her.

When Adrien leaps for Marinette himself he nearly catches her on the first try, before she flits up towards the ceiling and flies circles around the fan. 

Nino sighs and flips the switch for the fan on.

Marinette and Chloe both transform back and glare at Nino when they land together in a disgruntled heap on the floor. Alya scrambles out from under them with a yelp, then turns to pounce on Adrien and wrestle him to the floor instead.

Pollen and Tikki zip off in different directions. Pollen turns the ceiling fan back off, while Tikki flits over to giggle at Adrien and Alya.

" _ Rude _ ," Chloe mutters, flinging her hair back as she accepts Marinette's hand up.

"Nino," Marinette says, in what she probably thinks is a reasonable tone. Adrien could tell her otherwise but he's currently preoccupied with keeping Alya from catching hold of his tail. "You heard Master Fu. Better to get used to our forms  _ now _ instead of in the middle of a battle."

"Okay, that's easy for everyone with  _ quick _ forms to say!" Nino crosses his arms. "No offence, little dude."

"None taken," Wayzz says, dryly. "But if I may? Turtles aren't as slow as you think they are."

Adrien untangles himself from Alya and slinks over to rub against Nino's shin, purring for all he's worth. Personally he  _ loves _ this new ability, and the girls all clearly agree. Even Chloe seems to be enjoying herself. 

"Nino," Marinette says again. "I didn't think turning into a ladybug would be fun, but it is. And I bet Chloe wasn't thrilled, either."

Chloe sniffs. "Lies and slander. As if  _ I _ would ever complain about anything Pollen can do." She gives Wayzz's perch on Nino's shoulder a pointed glance.

Adrien purrs louder, only to startle sideways when Alya pounces at him. Marinette rolls her eyes and kneels, gathering Adrien up when he leaps into her arms, and pets him as she stands back up. Adrien shoves his head into her hands and twists to blink lazily at Nino. 

Nino throws his hands up, careful of the kwami still zipping through the air. Alya has gone to chase Tikki now that Adrien's safely in Marinette's arms. "Fine! Fine, okay, I'll do it! Wayzz-" Nino squeezes his eyes shut and grits his teeth. "Wayzz, shell me."

A flash of green-hued light later, and Alya darts over to nose at the box turtle scrambling on the floor. Adrien chirps as he looks down at his friend with interest but Marinette's arms tighten around him. 

"No, kitty," she says, gently scolding. "He was nervous enough, you know that. No chasing."

Adrien meows pointedly and looks at Alya, who's now pouncing in delighted circles around the little turtle. And Nino is a  _ little _ turtle- like all of them, his animal form is small. Adrien doesn't know if that's because they're all young or if it's because it's so much easier to scramble out of sight. They might be harder to harm than real animals but there's still a level of vulnerability in these forms that they don't have in their suits. 

He wonders if Master Fu would transform differently than Nino does. He wonders if Wayzz would tell them if they asked. He'd probably tell Nino, at least, and Nino doesn't keep secrets from the rest of the team very well. He barely keeps secrets from Alya at all.

Chloe sighs, watching the two of them, and then says, "Pollen?"

"Yes, my Queen?" Pollen settles on top of Chloe's head, near the Bee Miraculous. Chloe's taken to styling her hair differently to hide it, as well as switching it out with a different hairpin and keeping her Miraculous elsewhere on her person, but for right now she's wearing her old style. 

"Buzz away," she says, and a bee hovers at Adrien's current eye level a moment later. 

Both Marinette and Chloe can hover, he's noticed. He's not sure that bees and ladybugs can normally do that.

Adrien has a sudden thought.

The need to ask is so strong that he leaps out of Marinette's arms, transforms halfway to the floor, and twists around on his elbows to blurt up at her, "Can Hawkmoth turn into a butterfly?"

Plagg  _ cackles _ .

Chloe nearly falls out of the air. Alya misses her next pounce at Nino and tumbles over her front paws, her tail flipping over her eyes, and also transforms back. 

"Holy-" A delighted grin spreads across Alya's face, and Trixx starts giggling. "Adrien, I love you. I love you for that absolute  _ gift _ of a mental image, sunshine, I am going to treasure that."

"Hey," Marinette says, but playfully, and Alya ignores her.

Nino makes a noise that might be a disgruntled turtle noise. Adrien has not met enough turtles to know. 

"Hey, you don't seem to think it's so bad now," Adrien tells the top of Nino's shell.

In answer, Nino turns and scuttles straight for Adrien's ankles at lightning speed. He skids to a halt centimetres away and changes back, immediately fist-bumping Wayzz when he does. "Okay, lesson learned, they are faster than I thought." A grin spreads slowly over his face. "Dude, that is _way_ more fun than I expected."

"I know, right?" Alya says excitedly. "Trixx-"

"No!" Half the room exclaims at once, just as Master Fu enters.

He raises an eyebrow at them as Chloe, rather than transforming again, lands on Marinette's left shoulder just as Tikki lands on her right.

"Alya's been a fox since you  _ left _ ," Nino explains. "Please tell me there's some way to get her to limit this!"

Trixx giggles again.

"There is not," Master Fu says, his eyes sparkling as he nods to Wayzz. "It is not unusual for the Fox to take especial joy in this particular power-up."

Alya and Nino look at each other. 

Alya looks a lot happier about this information than Nino does.

Adrien, who's ended up at the back of the group only a little bit by accident, looks up at Plagg hopefully. His kwami doesn't even wait for the transformation phrase before Adrien is twining around Marinette's ankles again, purring happily.

He looks up to see Master Fu passing his hand over his eyes. "...your team may make more use of this power than most do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the 'hamsters' prompt for adrienaugreste
> 
> thanks shinobicyrus!

They don't really mean to end up with hamsters.

That is, they've  _ talked _ about it, but it had been in a sort of far off, 'someday in the future' manner.

They had definitely not meant 'finish an akuma battle by adopting a hamster each.'

"I do  _ not _ ," Ladybug says, a little faintly, staring down at the tiny creature in her hands, "Know how to deal with this."

Seated comfortably cross-legged nearby, his shield balanced upside down on his knees so that his and Rena's hamsters can run around and play with each other, Carapace shrugs. It's an oddly loose motion- Carapace had calmed down much faster than the rest of them after the battle had ended, and Adrien suspects that's partly because of the tiny hamsters currently clambering all over his shield. "I dunno, dude, they're pretty cute. I guess we might as well keep them?" His grin takes on a teasing edge. "I mean, you  _ did _ say you wanted to get a hamster with Adr- Chat Noir some day..."

Adrien looks up sharply enough at that to catch Ladybug's flush. He grins in turn, tail twitching happily, and purrs loudly as he pads closer. He has his own hamster perched precariously on his shoulder in Plagg's preferred spot, meaning that he has to keep one hand up at his shoulder to keep the little guy safely in place. "Well, my Lady?" He tilts his head and lets his grin grow, his ears flicking happily. "Tell me, wasn't there a bit more to that plan than just the hamsters?"

"Kitty," Ladybug sighs, but she doesn't sound put out, and she doesn't stop him leaning his weight against her shoulder. Instead she only plants her feet more firmly and transfers her hamster to her other shoulder, freeing up both hands for her Lucky Charm. 

But she hesitates when she raises it.

"Ladybug," Queen Bee says lazily, from where she's studying her own hamster. Hers is a stunningly fluffy little thing, striped white and yellow in a way Adrien strongly suspects isn't quite a normal pattern for a hamster. "Do you have to?"

Ladybug blinks at her, then lets her gaze roam over the nearby buildings. Not all of them are still standing. Several have holes in them. "Um. Yes. Yes I do."

"You know I super hate to agree with Chloe on, oh, anything ever at all," Rena says, leaning harder on Carapace, who only shifts back against her legs to brace himself. "But- Ladybug, come on, look at them." She nods down at Carapace's shield. 

All the hamsters are strikingly distinctive- Chat's own has sleek black fur, Ladybug's has spots, Rena's is fluffier than anyone else's but Queen Bee's- but it's Carapace's who's most obviously  _ not _ a normal animal. 

His is bright green.

"I see it guys, they're adorable," Ladybug says, dryly, but there's hesitation in her movements as she pets hers. "They're also, you know, some kind of akuma magic that is  _ really distinctive _ , we can't keep them."

Carapace looks up at her again, blinking in a way that makes Adrien suspect he's been more distracted than he's letting on. "Ladybug... they're alive, though." 

She falters as her own hamster lets out a tiny squeak, huddling closer to her. "I know, Carapace. But there's something else about them I don't think you've noticed." She looks around. "We should get somewhere else first, though."

Carapace gets up with a sigh, carefully passing his shield off to Rena. "Man, there's always something."

"Maybe we can  _ actually _ get hamsters later." Ladybug is looking at the hamster on Chat Noir's shoulder with obvious trepidation. "I'll explain in a second. Meet us at the third rendezvous point?"

"You could just  _ say _ -" Queen Bee starts, sniffing in disdain, and Rena rolls her eye and slaps her hand over Queen Bee's mouth only to recoil with a bitten-off yelp a moment later. 

"Rena?" Carapace asks worriedly, moving up behind her. 

"She bit me," Rena hisses, bristling at Queen Bee.

Queen Bee flicks her hair back. "Bees  _ do _ have a sting, you should know better."

" _ Guys _ ." The exasperation in Ladybug's voice cuts across the rest of the team. "Can we maybe focus? We'll see you in a few minutes?"

"...wait," Carapace says, slowly. "It's  _ been _ a few minutes."

"Yes." Ladybug taps one foot as she turns, tugging Adrien after her. "Yes, Carapace, it has."

She's noticed what's made Adrien go quiet, then. 

No one's Miraculous has beeped. Not even once.

They've  _ all _ used their powers, but no one's transformation is running down at all.

For a brief moment Adrien had hoped that was because they've been gaining more control over their powers. Then his hamster had bitten him and started glaring and he'd realised the same thing he thinks Ladybug has. 

But the team does scatter after that, and although he goes with Ladybug they aren't stopping anywhere long enough for him to ask her about it. 

That is, before they drop into the hidden grove in the park well ahead of the others and Ladybug says, in a rush, "Spots off."

Nothing happens.

Her hamster chirps worriedly. 

Ladybug's shoulders slump and she rubs her forehead before saying, faintly, "Tikki?"

Her hamster chirps again.

Ladybug looks up at Chat Noir. 

"Yeah," Adrien acknowledges, cupping one hand around Plagg and bringing him in front of his face to study him curiously. "I sorta started to suspect when he bit me."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Hamsters  _ are _ prone to biting, kitty, that isn't that odd."

"Trust me, I  _ know _ when it's Plagg that’s biting me." He hands Plagg gingerly over to Ladybug, whose lip is twitching now as she obviously tries not to laugh. "Hey, LB? This isn't where you told the others to meet us."

"Oh, it isn't?" Ladybug says, her eyes glinting. "My mistake. I'm sure they'll figure out that it has to be one of the other rendezvous points soon enough."

"Ladybug," Adrien says, trying not to laugh. He isn't trying very hard. "You made us all memorise  _ twenty _ rendezvous points."

That's true, although she also always brings Chat Noir with her now because Adrien still doesn't always know how to get to certain parts of the city. 

At least that's what they've told the others. Adrien had seen the way Nino's mouth had open and then shut without saying anything at that, the confused glance he'd shot them both. Nino's more than aware that even if Adrien still has to put up with being driven everywhere, Chat Noir's out at night with Ladybug all the time and their patrols have frequently turned into an excuse to explore.

There are plenty of places in the city that really  _ aren't _ safe for Adrien and Marinette, and Adrien isn't very good at recognising them. 

But they're safe enough to investigate while they're in their suits. 

(Nino might just still be unhappy about getting dragged into the catacombs, now that Adrien thinks about it).

Ladybug shrugs, taking Plagg from him before sitting down with her back to a tree and making herself comfortable. She moves Plagg to the shoulder that doesn't already have Tikki on it. "They've gotta find us eventually, right?"

Adrien snorts. "And what do you think Tikki feels about this? Because I can tell you right now that Plagg's gonna be very annoyed with us both later."

She grins at him. "I think Tikki's going to be happy we took advantage of it. You  _ know _ she's been worried about Bee and Rena working together."

He blinks, before dropping to the ground himself. "I  _ wondered _ why you didn't just use the Cure right away.  _ You  _ know Carapace is going to realise what you're doing, like, immediately, right?"

"I think he knew  _ before _ we split up," Ladybug says wryly. "But he's been worried too. He's on  _ my _ side for this one."

"Well, if we have to wait for them to figure this out anyway...." Adrien slow blinks at her, tilting his head. One ear flicks. 

Ladybug sighs and settles more firmly against the tree. " _ Yes _ , kitty.  _ If _ that even still works right now," she adds, as Plagg starts to creep down her arm from her shoulder. 

"Claws  _ on _ ?" Adrien tries, hopefully, and a second later Plagg's vanished completely and Adrien leaps into Ladybug's lap to curl up and purr contentedly, kneading briefly before he flicks his tail all the way around himself. 

"This is  _ definitely not _ what that ability is for and you know it," Ladybug says, but she's already petting him, and Tikki's slipped down to curl up in Adrien's fur anyway. 

Adrien purrs louder at her, pressing up against her hands. 

He doesn't know how long it takes before the others come straggling in, Carapace in the lead, all of them looking various levels of annoyed. 

"There are  _ other ways _ to set up team bonding exercises, you know," Rena Rouge seethes, throwing herself onto the ground in front of them. "Like, oh I don't know,  _ asking us! _ " 

Ladybug snorts, stroking one hand along Adrien's back. Queen Bee's giving him a look somewhere between dismay and jealousy. "I  _ have _ asked you. Multiple times. Neither of you ever manage keep going longer than a few fights, and I can't keep trying to mediate in the middle of battle." 

"It sorta worked," Carapace offers, sounding very tired. "I didn't think we'd get here until a  _ lot _ later." His shield is slung on his back again by now, but hamster-Wayzz is peering out of his hood. "But also, you realise we have a test tomorrow, right? 'Cause dude, if you don't use Miraculous Cure  _ now _ , people are gonna wonder why Carapace is in my room studying."

"Seconded," Rena says, muffled. "Except he's lying about the studying part."

Queen Bee scoffs. "As if anyone  _ cares _ what Carapace and Rena Rouge do with their spare time." 

Rena peels herself up from the ground and glares at Queen Bee, one eye twitching slightly. "As if anyone in Paris can escape knowing  _ way too much  _ about your spare time,  _ Chloe _ ."

Adrien flicks his tail over his eyes and purrs contentedly, because he's pretty sure Ladybug isn't going to use Miraculous Cure any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this prompt really really fought me


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the 'kitty' prompt for adrienaugreste

Adrien isn't quite sure what to do. 

Master Fu has known for a while that both Alya and Adrien use their animal forms more than the others, far more often than is probably wise, and it seems odd that he wouldn't have mentioned this particular danger if he'd been aware of it. 

But then again, Marinette has admitted that the man can be more than a little odd, and Adrien has seen that for himself several times over since Master Fu had taken over his Chinese lessons.

Also, the man actually speaks Hokkien and his Mandarin is rusty, so Adrien has been desperately hoping that Nathalie doesn't think to check on his recent progress. Adrien's initially surprised that Master Fu's Hokkien isn't equally as rusty, all things considered, but then he remembers that their kwami all seem to know potentially dozens of languages and suspects that Wayzz still speaks whatever Master Fu prefers at a given time. 

That also reminded Adrien that he _ does _ have the option of asking for Plagg's help with his Mandarin, but after only a handful of attempts he reflects inwardly that deciding to learn Hokkien instead might be a better bet.

But given that the man is really there to teach Adrien about the Miraculous and not Chinese at all, or at least not except as it relates to the Miraculous, Adrien can forgive that. 

But that their shapeshifted forms can apparently, sometimes, _ refuse to revert_ seems like something that should have come with a warning. 

It doesn't take Adrien too long to get to Marinette's. It probably should, but it isn't the first time Adrien's made his way over there as a cat. He knows where he's going more than well enough. It's a harder route when he can't scale buildings or make the kind of leaps he's used to- and he has to be careful right now, he's usually a lot sturdier than a real cat but then he can also usually _ transform back_. Which he can't. Right now. 

Which is a problem.

At least, he keeps trying to remind himself it's a problem.

He's a little too eager to go get cuddles from Marinette to stay as focused on that as he should.

The rain that starts partway there does dampen Adrien's usual enthusiasm for his shapeshifting, but it also strengthens his resolve to get to his partner as fast as possible.

Getting up to her balcony is always the hardest part but this time he finds he doesn't have to. He tries to dart past the bakery door without getting stepped on, eager to get around the back where he knows he can make his way up with enough effort and knowing that even if that doesn't work (it doesn't always, and the rain has made everything slippery) if he meows loudly enough Marinette is sure to come down to get him.

Probably. She _ has _ scolded him before for not simply changing back long enough to come upstairs, or asked him in exasperation why he hadn't just shifted _ after _ he'd landed on her balcony. Adrien still thinks she's likely to come down and get him once she realises he isn't transforming. 

But he's forced to scramble to a sudden halt when a sizeable shoe lands in front of him. Before Adrien can react enough to run back the other way, suddenly acutely aware that he looks just like every other black cat in Paris, Marinette's father is kneeling down in front of him. 

Adrien still has every intention of bolting, just in case, but he looks up at the man's face first and hesitates. He's seen that same open, loving expression on Marinette's face more times than he can count, but Marinette _ knows _ him, Marinette knows he isn't a passing stray.

While he's hesitating, M. Dupain unties his apron and then drapes it gently over Adrien. 

More out of surprise than anything, Adrien lets out a startled yowl that he has _ every _ intention of denying later. Before he can claw his way free, though, he's being gently lifted and he finds himself freezing in place.

He lets Marinette pick him up and carry him around in cat form all the time, but that's _ different_, she's _ allowed_. None of the others have ever tried to handle him, not even Chloe, although he suspects that's more because she doesn't want anyone to think they can go ahead and pick _ her _ up than it is about Adrien. 

He knows Marinette's parents well enough by now to know that he's safe but it's still a little nerve-wracking to have her father pick him up so easily.

"Hey there, little guy," M. Dupain greets him gently, smoothing back the apron until Adrien can poke his head out of it and let out an unhappy _ mrow _. "It's a little cold and wet out here for you, isn't it? I really shouldn't let you inside the bakery, and I need to get back to work myself, but..." He looks around, almost guiltily, as though anyone is around who'd stop him. "Well, one of my daughter's friends just came in to get out of the rain, too, I suppose I can ask them to look after you at least until the weather clears. Just don't tell Sabine, huh?" He laughs as he adjusts Adrien and the apron until he's holding both more securely. 

Adrien meows again, more confidently this time. Someone else already being here could complicate things, but he's sure that Marinette will be able to safely shelter him until they have a chance to figure out what's gone wrong, anyway.

"I'll take that as a yes." M. Dupain tugs the apron back over Adrien's head just enough to shield him from the rain, which really isn't necessary because he also takes him inside immediately.

Adrien doesn't bother to try and fight his way back out this time. Instead he curls up more comfortably and starts purring as soon as he feels Marinette's father making his way up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Sweetheart," M. Dupain calls, unwrapping Adrien again as he pokes his head into the room. "I know Nino's here, but can I ask a favour?"

Adrien's ears perk up at 'Nino's here' and he lets out a chirp. That definitely simplifies things; he's pretty sure they need to let the others know as fast as possible, and Adrien knows Alya is the only one who transforms anywhere near as often as he does. Master Fu had seemed honestly surprised that Alya _ isn't _ the one who uses their shapeshifting the most. 

But Alya does still use her fox form very, very nearly as often as Adrien does his cat form, and that means they need to let her know as fast as possible _ not _ to transform. Adrien couldn't exactly send her a message, and he doesn't know how to get to her apartment as well as he does the bakery, but if Nino and Marinette are both here _ they _ can contact Alya immediately. 

Then Adrien actually looks at his friends, at Marinette's wide eyes and the way Nino has shifted hastily to stand in front of the chaise lounge, and Adrien's ears flatten as he realises that Alya may well have beaten him here after all. 

"S-sure, Papa," Marinette stutters, eyes darting from Adrien to the chaise lounge and then back. "We'll, uh, we'll look after him." Even though she's clearly still worried, her expression softens as she looks back at her father. "Maman doesn't know you brought him inside, does she?"

Adrien can't see her father's expression but his voice is sheepish when he answers. "No, honey, you know what she's said about getting a cat."

Nino jumps, slightly, and Adrien sees a bushy tail whip rapidly back out of sight under the chaise lounge. Nino coughs, then says weakly, "What _ did _ your mom say, exactly, about getting a cat?"

Adrien lets out another meow as soon as he's handed over to Marinette, and her father laughs as he says, "She says the only cat allowed in the bakery is Chat Noir."

Adrien purrs louder, loud enough to mostly cover the yipping laugh that rings out from behind Nino's legs. That bushy tail whips into sight and away again very briefly. 

"Anyway, I had better get back to work. Thanks for helping me out, kids!" M. Dupain waves before vanishing back down the trapdoor.

Marinette hurries to shut it after him, shifting Adrien carefully to the crook of one arm and then turning back towards Nino. "Well, now we know why wasn't answering his phone."

Adrien meows and paws at the apron, which is still damp from being thrown over him outside and is starting to cling uncomfortably. 

"Sorry!" Marinette unwraps the apron and drapes it over the back of her desk chair. "Adrien?"

He meows again and then looks pointedly down towards the chaise lounge with a lash of his tail.

He's not surprised at the red fox that darts out, tongue lolling out as she yips excitedly up at him. 

"Alya, you have to be _ quiet_," Nino hisses, looking warily at the closed trapdoor. "I don't know how to explain why I have a fox!"

Tikki zips into view, revealing that she's staying up by Marinette's bed and well away from Alya. Alya _ does _have a marked tendency to chase their kwami while transformed so that's not much of a surprise. "I still don't understand what happened, Master Fu would have said something if he thought this might be a problem!"

"Dude, I am not _ at all _ convinced that's true," Nino tells her. "I'm surprised he remembered to tell us, like, _ any _ of the relevant details. He went on an hour long tangent about vengeance ghosts during the last lesson! I was up for like the next three nights in a row because I couldn't stop thinking about it!"

"Hawkmoth is an answer," Chloe's voice contributes in a lazy drawl, making Adrien look frantically around the room before realising that Chloe's voice is coming from Marinette's phone. "Hawkmoth is usually the actual answer."

Marinette winces as she turns the phone over, revealing that Chloe is on a video call. Adrien isn't sure what part of that surprises him more- that they've already called Chloe, that she's answered, that she hadn't spoken up while Marinette's father is in the room, that they'd called from Marinette's phone at all?

"Yeah, but this time I _don't_ think the answer has a whole lot to do with Hawkmoth," Marinette is saying, when Adrien remembers to pay attention. Alya is pretty clearly _ not _ paying all that much attention already, Alya is weaving between Nino and Marinette's feet and pouncing excitedly at shadows, and Adrien resists the usual urge to jump down and join her because the plans the rest of the team are making are _ important_.

Alya can get away with going missing for a while. They've said she was staying at Marinette's before when they'd actually been busy with Miraculous-related activities. Adrien, though, has only ever snuck out; 'I spent the night at Nino's' isn't going to work for him, not when his father still refuses to acknowledge that Nino _ isn't _ a bad influence. Adrien has a schedule he's supposed to follow and it's going to be obvious fairly quickly if he abandons it.

He's not as worried about that as he probably should be. 

It's always a little harder to worry as a cat. 

Plagg says that's normal, that's part of the transformation, but then he's encouraged Adrien to shift before when he's stressing out enough that they're both looking around for butterflies. Adrien _ thinks _ that his kwami would have mentioned it before now if he'd known there was any chance of not shifting _ back_. Plagg hates most of their powered-up abilities; this has always been the only he encourages.

Adrien suspects that's only because it makes him more likely to tolerate Plagg's own more cat-like behaviours, but that hasn't stopped him using the ability to shift as often as possible.

"Okay. Okay, so we should-" Nino stops, shoulders drooping, and looks utterly lost for a second. 

Tikki flits down like she's planning to comfort him, but immediately darts higher again when Alya prowls closer.

Adrien lets out a worried chirp and Marinette's arms tighten. 

"Nino had a harder time smuggling Alya over her than you did getting here, kitty," Marinette says, stroking between Adrien's ears until he purrs again. "And we haven't contacted Master Fu yet, we were trying to warn you first."

Chloe sniffs. "Little late for that."

Marinette rolls her eyes and gently sets Adrien down on her vanity. He creeps eagerly closer to the edge right away, looking down at Alya and letting out an involuntary chirp as he wriggles his haunches and gets ready to launch himself down at the fox.

"Nope!" Marinette says hastily, picking him back up. "No, nope, we're not doing that right now, _ why _ are you both like this?"

"Um," Nino says, dropping back onto her chaise lounge and rubbing at his face with both hands as Alya leaps up beside him with another happy yip. "That might be a really, _ really _ super relevant question? I just, dude, they both-" He gestures vaguely before slumping back again. "Like, yeah, okay, they both shift way more often than the rest of us do. Like. _ Way _ more. I am only guessing about Adrien but Alya does this, like, _ daily_, it is-"

"Can we get back on topic?" Chloe complains. "You can whine about your sex life later."

"Chloe!" Marinette hisses, going almost as red as Nino. "_Not_ helpful!"

"All of you are filthy furries and you know it. I'm not judging- no, wait, I am. I am judging. I am absolutely judging every last one of you. This is my judging face."

Tikki hovers as close to the phone as she dares with Alya still eyeing her and tilts her head. "That just looks like your regular face, though."

"_Chloe _," Marinette repeats firmly. "Still not helping!"

"Also, I am not at all sure Adrien knows what a furry _ is_," Nino offers, before wincing at the stare Marinette rounds on him with. "Right, also not helping, that is a topic we can revisit later. Or never! Never is good too!"

Marinette shakes her head, sharply. "Well we have them both now, I think we should get to Master Fu's. And no transforming," she adds, hastily.

Nino blinks at her. "Master Fu has Wayzz anyway."

"And I am _ not _ about to risk getting _ stuck _ as a bee," Chloe adds, voice indignant. 

Marinette groans and tightens her grip on Adrien again. "I'm hanging up now, Chloe, meet us at Master Fu's."

"Why should I? _ I _ didn't get _ myself _stuck as an animal." Adrien can't see Chloe with the way Marinette is holding him, but he can still picture her expression.

"And we don't know what exactly they _ did_, so if you would like it to _ stay _ that way..." Marinette's voice trails off threateningly. 

"Fine, fine. I'll meet you there whenever."

"Try _ as soon as the storm ends_, Chloe, I realise you have a hard time caring when it doesn't affect _ you personally _ but this is kind of an emergency!" Marinette is gritting her teeth now, sounding annoyed enough that Nino's actually backed up quite a bit on the chaise lounge and taken Alya with him.

Chloe hangs up with a huff of agreement and Marinette turns to Nino. 

Nino looks down at Alya, then back up at Marinette. "Look, just, _ please _ tell me you've got, like, a hoodie or something? Or, I don't know, a _ leash_?" He waves at Alya. "Dude, you have _ no idea _ how hard it was to both hide her and keep hold of her all they way here."

"Nino," Marinette says. "I am not giving you a leash for your girlfriend."

Nino cringes. "You did _ not _have to say it like that! Dude!" 

"It is _ literally _what you just asked me for!" Marinette reaches over to open her closet. "I have, um, I have one hoodie in here that might fit you? It was supposed to be a surprise for Adrien later, but." She looks down at where Adrien's snuggled contentedly in her arms. "This entire day has been a surprise."

"I really only need to know if I can hide a half-grown red fox in it?" Nino asks weakly. "If it's something you were working on, Marinette, I could always just, I dunno, borrow one of your dad's shirts or something?"

"Nino, no offence, but that's a ridiculous size difference." Marinette ducks into her closet, rummages around, and comes back out with the promised hoodie. "Here. It's, uh, reversible, so-" She shrugs, a little awkwardly. "I'm not sure which side you'd prefer?"

Nino's nose wrinkles as he reaches past Marinette. Adrien hadn't seen him get up; he's surprised that Nino would have left Alya alone that long, given his obvious concerns, but then he sees that Alya is squirming in Nino's other arm. Alya barks at him, playfully, and it's not until after Adrien's meowed back happily that it dawns on him that the two of _ them _ should probably be more concerned about this than they have been so far.

"Revers- _ oh _ ." Nino blinks. "Is this a- this flips from Chat Noir to _ Carapace_?"

"Um. Yes," Marinette admits sheepishly. "He's- he's got a Ladybug hoodie already, and I, well, I thought-" 

"That he'd be really, really happy with this one!" Tikki chips in brightly.

Nino's turning the hoodie over and over as best as he can with one hand, tracing over parts of it. He blinks over at Adrien. "You'd really wear a Carapace hoodie, dude?"

"Of course I would," Adrien tries to say, but he only meows. He blinks. 

He'd somehow forgotten that was likely to be a problem. 

He has used his shapeshifting ability frequently since Master Fu had first taught it to them, but he usually just shifts back if he wants to talk to Marinette. They still haven't shifted in any of their battles, not wanting Hawkmoth to know it's something they can do until they have no other choice, and the other time Adrien tends to shapeshift is at night when he's having trouble sleeping. Talking to the others hasn't ever been an issue before. 

He wonders uneasily if Alya's realised yet. 

He wonders if he can still talk to _ Alya _\- they haven't had much reason to experiment with communicating with each other while shapeshifted, because mostly they've only used the ability to play and even then it's been almost entirely the two of them. Chasing each other around Master Fu's back room hadn't exactly necessitated a lot of discussion. 

"Alya?" he tries, just as Marinette's phone goes off again. 

"Sorry, that's a text from Chloe. I'd better check that." Marinette stops and makes a face. "Well, _ that's _got to be near the top of the list of things I never thought I'd hear myself say." 

Adrien tries again to get Alya's attention, but Nino is trying to shrug the hoodie on without setting the fox down and Adrien can't catch her eye.

"Oh for-" Marinette sighs as she reads her text. "Nino, if you ever tell her I said this I will _ kill you_, but she's right." 

"What?" Nino says, muffled, not having met much success with juggling Alya and the hoodie. 

Marinette reaches out and gently takes Alya from him, supporting both her and Adrien with the kind of easy strength she doesn't often display outside of her suit. "Here. Chloe texted to say I should just transform and take Alya with me while _ you _ take Adrien."

"I thought we weren't transforming," Nino protests, but he's obviously relieved at the thought. "You know, just in case."

"Well-" Marinette holds Adrien up a little higher, transferring him to Nino's arms, and nods at him. "We're definitely not gonna be shapeshifting any time soon, just in case, but I think our _ usual _ transformations should be fine? Tikki?"

"They should be," her kwami says, circling warily closer while keeping her eyes on Alya. Nino steps far enough back that Tikki can land on Marinette's shoulder safely.

Adrien twists around to headbutt Alya in greeting, purring. She yips back, tail wagging furiously. 

Tikki shakes her head. "But I don't understand why this is happening at all!"

"Right," Marinette mutters. She looks at Nino and smiles wryly. "Of course Adrien and Alya managed to do something no other Miraculous holders have."

"Not any of _ our _ chosen, at least." Poor Tikki looks as anxious as Adrien's ever seen her. He tries to chirp reassurance at her but that only makes her look even more distressed. 

"Spots on," Marinette says, and seconds later Ladybug is tucking Alya under one arm and readying her yo-yo.

Adrien stretches his front paws towards her and she pauses. 

"I mean," Nino says, cautiously shifting Adrien until he's hugging him against his chest. "You probably _ could _ carry all of us. Couldn't you?"

Ladybug sighs, then says, "Put your hood up first, then get on my back. I am not trying to carry all three of you in my arms all the way to Master Fu's."

"Why not?" Nino asks brightly, even as he flips his hood up and follows Ladybug up the ladder and out to the balcony. He's ended up opting for the Chat Noir side of the hoodie. "'Cause dude, I'm like, pretty sure you can do that?"

"Because falling to our deaths _ would be bad_, and I can still drop things, and I don't want any of the things I drop to be any of _ you_," Ladybug says as Nino very gently places Adrien on her shoulder. As soon as Nino wraps his own arms around Ladybug's shoulders in turn, careful not to dislodge Adrien, Ladybug launches her yo-yo and takes them on one of the shortest trips to Master Fu's that Adrien has ever experienced.

She still doesn't go directly there- he's pretty sure that Marinette has _ never _ gone directly there, or at least that if she has it hadn't been intentional- but there are far fewer twists in the path than usual. 

They all cram into a nearby alley and Ladybug tightens her hold on Alya before detransforming. Adrien stays on her shoulder, but then she has to know how much less likely he is to try and run off. Marinette doesn't even give Alya the second's chance returning her to Nino would give her, making directly for Master Fu's side door instead.

Chloe isn't there yet, which isn't that surprising when Adrien actually thinks about it. Ladybug had given Chloe a much longer list of rules to follow to keep her Miraculous than the rest of them and making a beeline to Master Fu's while transformed is definitely against those rules. 

Which, considering that this location is still very much something they all want to keep secret, means that Chloe has to be walking here. 

Adrien purrs at that thought, much more smug about it than he might have been in the past. He never has understood why Chloe would _ want _ to be chauffeured everywhere when Adrien himself has been trying for more freedom for longer than they've known each other. 

But then maybe that is why. Chloe's had more freedom than he has. 

That is a much more depressing thought than Adrien usually has while he's a cat. 

"Master Fu?" Marinette calls anxiously, moving into the back room slowly enough for Adrien to keep his balance, Nino crowding close at her back. "Master Fu, there's a bit of an emergency!"

"A _ bit_?" Nino hisses.

"I don't want him to think Hawkmoth's here or anything," Marinette hisses back. "Our emergencies can take a lot of forms and I don't want anyone to panic!"

"_I'm _ panicking! I have _ been _panicking!" Nino keeps his voice low, but the stress in it is obvious.

Marinette stops in the middle of the room, vibrating with tension. "Anyone besides us!"

"_Us-_"

"Marinette, Nino!" Master Fu greets as he steps into the room, cutting off the rest of Nino's comment. "What brings you here so late? And-" He blinks, peering closer. "With your partners... in their animal forms?"

Wayzz flits out from behind Master Fu and dives for Nino, who catches him with a sigh of relief, and in the same moment Tikki darts out of Marinette's purse to hover beside Adrien. 

"Master, we have a problem," Tikki says. 

It doesn't take long to explain, but happily Master Fu does close and lock the door near the beginning of Nino and Marinette's explanation, meaning that Marinette sets Alya down and Adrien jumps down himself not long after. 

He knows they should be listening to Master Fu's response, too, but he's having too much fun chasing Alya around the edges of the room and being chased in turn to really pay attention. 

Marinette and Nino do hastily pick them both back up when there's knocking at the side door.

"I wouldn't have run out," Adrien tells his partner indignantly, but uselessly.

Alya yawns, showing off her sharp teeth. "I might have."

"I can understand you!" Adrien brightens immensely at that. He likes his cat form, but he's never enjoyed the sensation of being talked over or not listened to and he'd been pretty resigned to that being standard until they figure out what's gone wrong. 

"Yep, catboy, I don't know if we could do it before but I can understand you, too." Marinette's re-locked the door behind Chloe's arrival, so Adrien and Alya find themselves set loose in the room again. 

Adrien sits down and tilts his head at Alya, his tail lashing. "I don't think I realised that we've never checked that before."

Alya flips onto her back and laughs at him, upside down. "Why would we have checked? Shifting's fun, it wouldn't have stopped us!"

Adrien has to admit that's true. 

An obvious note of distress enters Marinette's voice, catching Adrien's attention in a way he's not sure anything else could right now. Unless it was something he could chase.

"- and now I don't even think they're listening to us at all," Marinette concludes, voice warring between frustration and despair. "Please, Master Fu, we have to find some way to fix this."

"Marinette," Master Fu says gently, stroking his beard and then glancing around to gather Chloe and Nino in with his gaze as well. He makes no attempt to try and get Adrien and Alya's attention, although Adrien is trying to listen now anyway. "Do you remember when you first came to me about Chat Noir's unhappiness? Do you remember what we talked about?"

Adrien presses against Marinette's calf, purring. He'd known that Master Fu had come to see him shortly after he'd been upset with Ladybug, but he'd never connected that she'd been worried about him. 

"Yes, Master Fu," Marinette says reluctantly, ducking down to gather Adrien into his arms. "You told me that it's important to do things in the right order."

"Right." Master Fu nods sagely. "And in this case, that means- we'll have to let this run its course."

"What?" Nino, Marinette, and Chloe all exclaim simultaneously. 

Master Fu shrugs, unconcerned. "This has happened only very rarely, and I have never seen it with any Miraculous besides the Fox before, but when a wielder overuses this ability they can become trapped for a time. It resolves itself, or at least it always has before, but the time it may take- that is hard to determine."

Marinette hugs Adrien close to her. "Master Fu, they're going to be missed! We-" She falters and lowers her voice. "We need them back."

Master Fu hums thoughtfully before he replies. "Then, odd as it seems, the best course of action may be to encourage them to explore their animal forms freely. Once they've fully adjusted and accepted them, they should both be able to change back."

"There were a lot of qualifiers in there," Nino says shakily. "Like, an alarming amount of qualifiers."

"And Master, isn't this _ because _ they're more adjusted to their animal forms?" Tikki asks, peering down at Adrien worriedly. "They transform the most often out of the whole team. I would think they've accepted them already."

"Hmm." Master Fu blinks. "Perhaps it is something different after all, then... I will have to do more research. In the meantime, I do think the best course of action may be to take them somewhere where they can fully indulge their current forms. The forest, perhaps."

"I _ hate _ camping," Chloe complains immediately.

"Time to suck it up, Chloe, because the only way we can get permission to take _ Adrien camping _ is if you throw one of your fits about it." Marinette does not look happy about delivering this news. Adrien snuggles closer to her and purrs louder, but it doesn't seem to help. 

Chloe does call her father, in the end. And although it takes an impressive amount of whining and cajoling, even for Chloe, she actually does manage to weasel permission to take Adrien camping. Adrien isn't sure how she manages that, despite having listened to the whole thing; Chloe never even spoke directly to his father, only to her own, and yet somehow she's convinced Father that it's for the best if Adrien goes on a quick camping trip with her. 

"You didn't mention the rest of us," Marinette says, bemused, once Chloe's hung up again.

Chloe huffs and tosses her hair back, revealing the Bee Miraculous for the briefest moment before her hair swings back to hide it again. "_No one _ would believe that I am willingly spending the week in the woods with _ you_. _ Dupain-Cheng._"

It's been a long time now since Chloe's spoken Marinette's name with such distaste. It makes Adrien uneasy to hear it again. 

Marinette and Nino make separate calls, crafting separate plans and excuses and making sure they and Alya are covered as well. Nino's not sure exactly what kind of reception claiming he's going camping with his girlfriend is likely to bring, so he ends up saying that he's going camping with Kim and Max.

"What?" he says when Adrien meows at him, curious. "Max will recognise it as a cover, and he doesn't ask what it is you need covered for. And Kim- dude, listen, Kim is _ always _ the perfect excuse, dude will back you up on _ anything_."

"True," Marinette says, amused. "He _ is _ good for that. And I think Marc and Nathaniel are usually down to help out too?" She shrugs. "We've all known each other since we were children, we're pretty good about watching out for each other."

"You could have fooled me." Chloe's leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, scowling at nothing as Pollen flits around her ponytail. 

"Well, yeah," Nino says, trying and failing to catch Alya. "We were usually specifically avoiding you."

Alya lets out a loud fox cackle, reverberating in the tiny room.

Chloe sighs and pushes off the wall. "Just tell me where we're going." 

Master Fu has a retreat tucked away in the 'woods' (it's a national park, and still well within Paris' city limits, but they collectively decide it's better not to bring that up). He shows them to his 'usual place,' leaves them with a tent that has _ absolutely _ seen better days, and then leaves himself. 

"You know," Nino says, staring after him. "I have no idea why I thought he'd stick around for this."

Marinette shrugs, looking just as lost. "He _ did _ say he needed to do more research. At least he left Wayzz?"

Wayzz is back near the tent, keeping just out of range of Alya's happy lunges. Of all the kwami Wayzz seems the calmest about their unexpected sojourn, but then Adrien has never been able to read Pollen very well, Tikki is currently a buzzing ball of anxiety to rival Marinette, and Plagg and Trixx aren't here to give their opinions. 

That is, unless it's Plagg and Trixx causing this, but Adrien doesn't _ think _ that's likely. Trixx might do it, but Plagg wouldn't, not when it affects him too. 

"Well," Nino announces gloomily, trudging out of their tent with his cell phone dangling loose in one hand. "We're all covered. Dunno what, exactly, Kim thinks he's covering _ for_, but we have-" He runs one hand through his hair, nearly knocking his hat clean off. "We have a few days, at least."

"Great," Chloe says, still seething. "This is- this is just ridiculous. I had things planned! There are sales this weekend! I did _ not _ want to spend it in the _ woods _ with _ you_!" She kicks at a rock, frustrated, and then recoils with a delicate little hiss. "I already _ hate _ this. These are Louboutins!"

"Well, suck it up, Chloe," Marinette says tiredly, dropping into a sitting position and sighing as Adrien scrambles into her lap immediately and purrs when she pets him. "Because until we figure out _ what the hell our partners did_, we're staying here. We'd better figure out a rotation for akuma attacks."

Adrien doesn't really listen to that, content to curl up in Marinette's lap instead. He knows he should be worried, too, but he isn't. It's the first time in ages that he's been nothing but happy.

Later, he realises that should have been both his first clue and his first warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not as happy with this one? but also, _at last i can write happy adrien cat_

**Author's Note:**

> title is from lindsey stirling's 'something wild'


End file.
